Team Aqua claim the RC44 Sotogrande Cup

Chris Bake's Team Aqua claimed the RC44 Sotogrande Cup after recovering from a broken bowsprit.

Team Aqua - Click image for a larger image

Ahead going into Sunday, Chris Bake's team increased increased their lead to five points after the first race. Then in the second, they were on track to consolidate their position, leading round the top mark. But soon after it all fell apart.

Just after setting the spinnaker a wave buried the bow at the same moment as there was a massive puff and it was white water all the way back to the wheels.

Soon after there was this nasty crunch from the bowsprit and that was it.

They sailed the remainder of the leg under jib but on the following run jury rigged their A3 spinnaker to fly from the bow.

Team Aqua crew and shore crew rallied to fit a replacement bowsprit just before the shut-off for the final race of the day.

In this, amazingly, the three frontrunners were last to the weather mark, but after the leeward gate Team Nika and Team Aqua split tacks with Peninsula Petroleum following Team Nika.

Team Aqua recovered fourth place at the weather mark which they hung on to the finish while Peninsula Petroleum came home last.

And so Team Aqua claimed the RC44 Sotogrande Cup. John Bassadone's Peninsula Petroleum was left second overall.

Team Aqua - Click image for a larger image

It could all have been different too for the Kirill Frolov-steered Bronenosec Sailing Team which, along with Charisma, performed a full mast-in-the-water broach just short of the finish line in today's first race.

However to have finished third, on their first regatta with an almost entirely new crew was a fine result.

While Artemis Racing claimed today's opening race and Peninsula Petroleum the second, Katusha, steered by Alexander Novoselov, won the third.

After such an action-packed day, it is with great anticipation that we look forward to the RC44 Porto Cervo Cup taking place over 29 June – 2 July.